Hello, I am Michael Amico. .

The following is a story told in the spirit of our 4 guiding principles. Be Adaptable, Be Bold, Be Customer Obsessed and Be Inventive.

All Images are borrowed, please do not share externally.

I am telling this story because I am concerned about the impact of our culture on its people. I am also telling this story because I believe in the opportunity that exists because of the talent we have, and our industry attracts.

I have heard my coworkers hopes, fears and goals to create a story which takes us from where we are, to where we will need to be to create a planet run by the sun.

So, here it goes. SUNNRUNNER: From Inside Sales Support to BOLD LEADER

I studied Sustainability at ASU because I believed in the power of business to solve the worlds biggest problems

Which is why I was so excited to get a job here at Sunrun as member of inside sales support team,

Making cold calls isnt where I see myself 2 years from now, but it is a great foot in the door at a company that is changing the world...

For the first six months I really loved what I was doing. Every day I felt like I was creating a planet run by the sun

Soon after I began to feel that my role wasn't really to change the world, but to check off boxes...
Even my review card had these boxes "Did I ask for credit" Did I mention our referral program"?


Soon I noticed others around me checking these boxes to comply and mentally checking out.

I want meaningful impact from my career, so I am thankful for the senior advisors who have been really helpful including some of the sales guys.

I listen in on their calls, learn what I can, and ask them for how I can do better.

We used to bond over celebrating sales together, but I no longer earn commisson on sales.

I don't feel like we are on the same team anymore, and our goals don't really feel aligned.

Now I am starting to question my future here at Sunrun.

My goal was to get into sales, but the joke here is

"I'd go into sales, but don't want to take a pay cut"

and frankly, those guys don't seem too happy either.

In fact, 4 of their last 5 hires left within a week, can I succeed in that environment?

A Management position would be nice, but looking around the office I don't see a single manager here who started in my position, in fact promoting from within seems outlawed.

Fortunately Sunrun decided to be bold shake things up.

Instead of checking boxes I am now part of an interdisciplinary team.

There are seven of us. Two appointment setters, 4 sales guys and one quality control specialists...

I work closely with this team with one goal. To provide the most unique and high quality customer experience possible.

Now, the senior sales guys learn my style and I learn theirs.

We are making changes and improvements each day. I hear his pitches, struggles and success and adapt and vice versa.

He helps me overcome obstacles and has taught me more about what we do than I learned in the previous 6 months.

I am even learning advanced selling techniques that break through a prospects defensive behavior.

I am no longer just checking boxes, I am part of a learning team.

Our team is seeing more sales than ever before and our customers love working with us.

We really stand out compared to the "sleezy sales guy" at our competitor.

And working with a team makes our customers feel like they are part of a movement, not just a sales machine.

The Inside Sales team is doubling in size over the next 4 months.

In the past that meant hiring from the outside, training on a new product, low productivity while new hires ramped up and high turnover.

Fortunately, thanks to the learning organization I am a part of,

I am ready to step into that role and become an unstoppable force for change.